Classic Fairy Tales and Fables Come to Life Through Dance

Audiences will relive their childhood when they come to see "Once Upon a Dance" during the final performance of the academic year for Ball State's theater and dance students. The show combines everyone's favorite fables and fairy tales — "Little Red Riding Hood," "Cinderella" and "Rapunzel" — to create a world of timeless classics through dance. The show premieres at 7:30 p.m. April 27 and will run through April 30 at the University Theatre.

The cast of members of the Ball State Dance Theatre Company will bring the well-known characters to life through a combination of jazz, tap, ballet, modern dance and ethnic dance. "The audience should also expect to see different moods and flavors from one dance to the next, as fairy tales aren't always lighthearted and happy," said Audra Sokol, artistic director of "Once Upon a Dance."

Sokol explained how rewarding it is to choreograph a show. "When you choreograph a dance, you start with nothing, except an idea," she said. "It's exciting to see the idea be born, and as the semester progresses, you watch it develop into the final outcome where the performers pour their hearts out on stage."

"Snow White," "Three Blind Mice" and "The Tortoise and the Hare" also are retold through different dance sequences. Sokol said the cast is very excited to perform a number for "The Princess and the Pea," where 12 blow-up mattresses are used in the arrangement.

The final outcome of the performance isn't the only reward Sokol looks forward to. "I like seeing students mature as artists because with every dance they perform, something new is realized within themselves, and they grow from that experience," she said.

Tickets for the performance cost $12.50 for the general public, $11.50 for faculty and staff, $9.50 for senior citizens, and $6.50 for students. They are available from the University Theatre Box Office, open from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Contact the box office at 765-285-8749 or visit Theatre and Dance for more information.